Sanctuary by Sirromet

I don’t get out much these days. Most of my days involve hanging out with a toddler, hanging out washing and feverishly cramming max productivity into minimum time.

It’s a treat to go somewhere a) I don’t have to clean, b) I don’t have to cook, and c) there are no children or puppies requiring love or assistance.

It’s an even bigger treat when the winemaker on duty is Adam Chapman and the executive chef is Mathew Fulford. While Dan Murphy’s $10 reds and spag bol are great most of the time, geez Louise, it’s a different ball game when these guys are in charge.

Chef Mat Fulford should be a Professor at Hogwarts because the things this man can do with a turnip should be considered witchcraft

Think elegant cold climate Chardonnay (very new French oak-y, thank you very much), crisp and light Chardonnay Pinot Noir bubbles and a Viognier that is a standalone drinking experience. There’s even a pink Pinot Gris that is both weird and wonderful.

Food-wise (and you need to eat because the wine is so damn good), Mat Fulford’s dishes feature fresh, local and simple ingredients spun into pure gold. One of my favourite things was a canapé made from broccoli, olive oil and turnip. Sounds a bit communist vegan but tastes more like Russian oligarch.

Said witchcraft – snapper with caviar and turnips… always with the turnips Mat!

Food and wine aside, the reason I went on this little adventure north was to check out the new Sanctuary by Sirromet, a new glamping experience at Sirromet Winery in Mount Cotton, 35 minutes north west of Brisbane.

The ‘tents’ (I use that term loosely) are basically hotel rooms made from canvas. Air-con, mini-bar, comfy beds and showers mean that the only thing this has in common with actual camping is proximity to nature. The tents overlook a freshwater lagoon with waterlilies and paperbarks on the perimeter.

Let me expand: as a child, we camped. We dug trenches in torrential rain. We were bitten by mosquitoes. We walked to smelly amenities blocks to have cold showers.

This is definitely not camping.

But I like it anyway.

The view from inside the non-traumatic glamping experience

If you want to go on a luxe break with your lover (and your children aged 10 and over, if you’re game), Sanctuary by Sirromet is a great place to do it.

There are wine tastings, site tours, multiple dining options from fancy to casual, the occasional concert, soon-to-be bike paths and kayaks, a fun thing called a gourmet safari that involves Argentinean asador lamb cooked over coals and getting a bit tipsy among the gumtrees, as well as day trips to Moreton Island with Sunset Safaris.

All in all, good times, close to Brisbane with surprising excellent wine (thanks to the fruit imports from the Granite Belt). More info here.

This lady hosts the site tours – her name is Maggie and she is one the best tour guides I have ever met